Varanasi, also called Kashi or Banaras, sits on a crescent of the Ganga where more than eighty ghats run down to the water. The main things to do are simple and old: bathing, prayer, cremation, music, study and food. For a first-time visitor the best view is from the river. An early boat past Assi, Kedar, Dashashwamedh and Manikarnika shows the city's shape and mood better than any checklist, and it asks very little of tired knees.
The honest trade-off is that the most meaningful parts of Varanasi are also the hardest to reach. The old city behind the ghats is a maze of lanes too narrow for cars. Many ghats have steep, uneven stone steps with no railings. Darshan at Kashi Vishwanath can mean queues, security checks and crowding, especially on Mondays, in the month of Shravan and at Mahashivratri. None of this should put families off, but it does mean choosing where to stay, when to go out and how much to attempt in a day with care.
Travelling with parents works best at a slower pace: one river experience and one temple or museum a day, a rest in the middle of the afternoon, and taxis or e-rickshaws to take you as close as the roads allow. The southern side, around Assi and BHU, is calmer and easier for vehicles. The Godowlia and Dashashwamedh side puts you close to the evening aarti and the Vishwanath temple, but traffic there is heavy. Sarnath, where the Buddha is said to have given his first sermon, makes a peaceful, flat half-day that older travellers often enjoy most.
Before you plan
Know Varanasi at a glance
- Best months
- October to March is most comfortable. December and January mornings can be foggy and cold, which can delay flights and trains. April to June is very hot, and in the monsoon (roughly July to September) the river rises and boat rides may be limited.
- Ideal trip length
- 2–3 days: one day for the ghats and the aarti, one for temples and BHU, and a half-day for Sarnath. Add a day for Chunar or Ramnagar.
- Airport
- Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS) at Babatpur. The drive to the ghats usually takes around an hour, sometimes more, depending on traffic.
- Railway stations
- Varanasi Junction (often called Cantt), Banaras station (formerly Manduadih), and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction (formerly Mughalsarai) across the river. Check which station your train uses, because they are far apart.
- Getting around
- Taxis and e-rickshaws for the roads, rowing or motor boats between ghats, and walking in the old-city lanes, which cars cannot enter. Hotels near the ghats often arrange porters or cycle-rickshaws to the nearest road.
- Daily budget
- As a rough guide, excluding the hotel: a modest day on local food and e-rickshaws can stay fairly low. Private boats, a car with driver and guided darshan raise it considerably. Rates change with the season, so confirm before you book.
- Senior comfort
- Moderate. The riverside and old city are hard on knees, but boats, Sarnath, BHU and hotels with lifts make a comfortable trip possible if you plan it that way.
- Language
- Hindi and the local Bhojpuri. English is understood in hotels and by most guides and boat operators near the main ghats.
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
How many days do you have?
A Varanasi itinerary that leaves room for Varanasi
01 1 day in Varanasi
- River at dawn, temple by day, aarti at dusk. Start before sunrise with a rowing boat from Assi Ghat or Dashashwamedh Ghat. Drift north past Kedar Ghat's striped steps to watch Manikarnika respectfully from the water. Have breakfast of kachori-sabzi and jalebi near the ghats, then rest. Late morning, visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple through the Dham corridor. Check the official temple site first for current rules on phones, bags and sugam darshan. Take a long lunch break at the hotel. In the late afternoon, walk slowly through Vishwanath Gali or stop for tamatar chaat at Kashi Chaat Bhandar. Then settle in at Dashashwamedh early for the evening Ganga Aarti, ideally watching from a boat if steps are a problem.
02 2 days in Varanasi
- Day 1: The ghats and the Ganga Aarti. Take a sunrise boat ride from Assi towards Manikarnika. Go back for breakfast and a rest. Mid-morning, have darshan at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, then take the short walk through Vishwanath Gali for prasad and brassware. After an afternoon rest, walk the level stretch around Dashashwamedh Ghat and stay for the evening aarti. Book a boat for the aarti if anyone in the group struggles with crowds or steps.
- Day 2: South Varanasi temples and BHU. An easy morning by car or e-rickshaw: Sankat Mochan Temple early, before the queues build, then Durga Kund Temple and Tulsi Manas Temple, which are close to each other. Continue to the Banaras Hindu University campus for the New Vishwanath Temple and Bharat Kala Bhavan's miniatures and textiles. The BHU campus is flat and green and easy on older legs. End the day at Assi Ghat's calmer evening aarti, or with a lassi.
03 3 days in Varanasi
- Day 1: River and old city. Take a sunrise boat ride past Kedar Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat. Eat breakfast in Kachori Gali if everyone is comfortable in narrow lanes, otherwise at the hotel. Visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple late morning and take the afternoon off. In the evening, watch the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, with a snack stop at Kashi Chaat Bhandar before or after.
- Day 2: Sarnath. Drive out to Sarnath after breakfast. The Dhamek Stupa and the excavated monastery ruins sit in a level, landscaped park, and the Sarnath Museum next door holds the Lion Capital of Ashoka. Check the museum's weekly closing day before you go. Have lunch in Sarnath, return for a rest, and spend a quiet evening at Assi Ghat.
- Day 3: Temples, BHU and Ramnagar. Visit Sankat Mochan Temple and Durga Kund Temple in the morning, then the New Vishwanath Temple and Bharat Kala Bhavan on the BHU campus. In the afternoon, cross the river to Ramnagar Fort for its museum of palanquins, vintage cars and arms, and the view back over the Ganga. If you have extra energy or an extra day, a car trip to Chunar Fort makes a good countryside outing.
